Just when you thought they were building momentum, things took a downturn in D.C. It all started with some tough news before the game: one of their top arms, Reynaldo López, is headed to the injured list, sidelined until at least the final weekend of the regular season. López has been a crucial part of Atlanta’s pitching rotation, leading all MLB pitchers (minimum 100 innings) with a sparkling 2.03 ERA. Losing him for an extended period is a big blow.
And then, as if the day couldn’t get worse, the Braves dropped a 5-1 decision to the Nationals. Max Fried, usually their reliable ace, fell behind early, allowing four runs by the sixth inning. Washington’s Jake Irvin, meanwhile, stifled Atlanta’s bats, keeping them hitless until Michael Harris’ double in the sixth.
It was a quiet night offensively for the Braves, a stark contrast to the offensive explosion they had just the night before, scoring 12 runs. The timing couldn’t be worse as the Mets pulled off a dramatic win earlier in the day, pushing the Braves a game back in the Wild Card race with only 16 games left on the schedule.
Manager Brian Snitker’s frustration was clear: “After last night, you hoped maybe that’s the start of something really good and we’d keep building on that,” he said. Unfortunately, the Braves couldn’t find that magic again.
Fried battled through six innings, but he wasn’t at his best, giving up 11 hits and tying a season-high in that category. CJ Abrams and company did most of the damage, including a solo homer from Abrams. Fried, clearly disappointed with his performance, said, “It’s frustrating knowing that we played a really great baseball game yesterday, and I wasn’t really able to give us the effort that we needed.”
Snitker echoed the sentiment, acknowledging Fried’s effort but lamenting the lack of run support: “He kept the game manageable… We just couldn’t get anything going.” It’s been a challenging stretch for Atlanta, especially with key players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies missing significant time due to injuries.
Now, with López out of the mix for a while, the Braves are down to a four-man rotation: Fried, Charlie Morton, Spencer Schwellenbach, and the potential Cy Young winner, Chris Sale. An off day on Thursday will give them a little breathing room before a crucial series against the Dodgers. But the schedule is unforgiving—they’ll need a fifth starter by Sept. 17, and López won’t be eligible to return until Sept. 26.
The Braves know they need to step it up. Fried is eager to bounce back, saying, “I want to get back out there as soon as possible.” With the Wild Card race tightening up, Atlanta will need every bit of pitching and offense to stay in the hunt. But for now, Wednesday in Washington was a setback they didn’t need.
